MWRD Board Holds 3 Meetings In a Day

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board 
December 7, 2023

The MWRD Commissioners held their Annual Meeting, regular Board meeting, and then a public hearing on the proposed 2024 Tentative Budget, all on December 7.

Annual Meeting
Due to a lack of quorum the meeting scheduled for December 5 was continued to Dember 7.  President Steele provided a written report on the accomplishments of 2023, stating that the MWRD had successfully advanced the key goals of excellence in

• stormwater management
• wastewater treatment
• climate change accountability
• fiscal responsibility

To read the full report, click 2023 President's Message.

Board Meeting
All items on the Agenda were passed with only a few items pulled for discussion, which included

• Four approvals for $50,000 each to go to the Northwest Municipal Conference, the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, the Southwest Conference of Mayors, and the West Central Municipal Conference for administrative assistance related to coordination of Watershed Planning Councils in Cook County.  Vice President Flynn wanted to highlight the importance of these Councils.  
• Commissioner Corral Sepulveda said that she wanted to follow-up with the Executive Director about the 5-year pilot program started in 2020 as she has heard that developers are not finding out about the program until after they had already done the design work and so they are reluctant to participate if it meant having to redo their designs.  She would also like to see the program expanded from the two watersheds and extended for a longer term beyond Jan. 1, 2025.  The expansion and extension of time for the pilot was also requested by a speaker for Resource Environment Solutions during the public comment period.  (Agenda items 25, 26, 27, and 28; and Item Nos. 23-1161, 23-1162, 23-1163, and 23-1164)
• Separately, there was a 15-minute break for an executive session to discuss whether to disclose minutes from prior executive sessions.  A staff person told this Observer that this is a regular annual procedure.
• During the New Business section of the meeting, President Steel highlighted the new MWRD web site that went “live” on November 30, still accessed through www.mwrd.org. 

Public Hearing on Tentative 2024 Budget
There were 2 commentors:

• Richard Lanyon expressed concern for use of lagoons for bio-solids.  He wants thermal drying to be used instead.  He said he supports the MWRD’s decision to pause distributing bio-solids in light of the PFAS issues.
• Friends of the River expressed support for the proposed budgeted amounts for flood control, green infrastructure, and education, the Climate Action Plan for carbon neutrality by 2035, and commended the proposed creation of a Diversity, Equality, Inclusion, and Justice department.

Observer:  Priscilla Mims